Precast is a Key Player in Ravens' New Roost

The Shockey Precast Group kept the Baltimore stadium project on a fast track by subcontracting work to two competitors and by erecting precast and precast/prestressed concrete pieces at night. By construction scheduling standards The Baltimore Ravens' new $220 million, 68,000-seat stadium has seemingly risen overnight in the Camden Yards area, taking only two years from groundbreaking to completion. The fact that the project met its fast-track schedule was due in no small part to use of precast concrete in the superstructure and seating areas. Cast-in-place concrete was used for the slabs on grade, most of the columns and some major rakers, but the other concrete work was precast and precast/prestressed. Designers HOK Sport, and Bliss & Nyitray specified precast concrete wall panels, stairs and flat slabs, and precast/prestressed double tees, beams, and double and triple riser units. They replaced some cast-in-place concrete beams with precast concrete beams, which saved time and money.In October 1996, Shockey Precast Group, Winchester, Va., was awarded the first of two contracts, this one a $5 million package that included all of the double tees, flat slabs and other pieces for the concourse areas to be cast in Shockey's Winchester plant.The second package was awarded to Shockey in January 1997 for all of the precast seating units, the nearly triangular vomitory walls for entryways to seating, and miscellaneous beams and other pieces. To make up for lost time, Shockey decided to subcontracted some of the work. They called in Strescon of Towson, Md., and High Concrete of Denver, Pa."The biggest challenge of the entire job was the sheer size of it," says Tom McCabe, project manager for Shockey.Stadium stats are included.